SUBJ: BASIC ALLOWANCE FOR HOUSING (BAH) DATA COLLECTION PROCESS
1.  HOUSING ALLOWANCES FOR THE UNIFORMED SERVICES ARE DETERMINED BY
THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (SECDEF) USING AN OBJECTIVE, SCIENTIFIC
RENTAL MARKET SURVEY OF HOUSING DATA.  RUNZHEIMER INTERNATIONAL
(RZI) OF ROCHESTER, WISCONSIN, UNDER CONTRACT TO SECDEF, ASSISTS IN
THE COLLECTION OF THE HOUSING MARKET DATA.  UNDER SECDEF DIRECTION,
RZI WILL WORK DIRECTLY WITH UNIT REPRESENTATIVES TO COLLECT RENTAL
MARKET HOUSING DATA FOR EACH MILITARY HOUSING AREA (MHA).  AREA
HOUSING OFFICERS WILL PROVIDE REGIONAL ASSISTANCE TO UNIT
REPRESENTATIVES.  POINTS OF CONTACT FOR THE MLCS ARE MR. DAVID W.
MARCHUK, DAVID.W.MARCHUK (AT) USCG.MIL FOR CG MLCPAC, AND MR. JOHN
H. RUSCH, JOHN.H.RUSCH (AT) USCG.MIL FOR CG MLCLANT.
2.  ON 27 FEB 2009, RZI E-MAILED ALL MILITARY HOUSING OFFICES
(MHOS) PASSWORDS TO THEIR WEB SITE (WWW.BAH.RUNZHEIMER.COM).  THIS
PASSWORD GIVES MHOS ACCESS TO RZIS BAH DATA COLLECTION INSTRUCTION
PACKAGE, WHICH DESCRIBES THE DATA COLLECTION PROCESS THAT WILL BE
USED TO DETERMINE THE 2010 BAH RATES.
3.  PRIMARY AND SECONDARY MHOS WILL ENTER DATA THROUGH MHO WEB
ONLY, INCLUDING THOSE MHOS PARTICIPATING IN THE AUTOMATED HOUSING
REFERRAL NETWORK.  PRIMARY MHOS WILL SCREEN ALL PROPERTIES AND
APPROVE SUITABLE RENTAL PROPERTIES.  PRIMARY MHOS WILL THEN SUBMIT
APPROVED PROPERTIES, CENSUS TRACT REVIEWS, AND RECOMMENDED REAL
ESTATE PROFESSIONALS VIA MHO WEB.  THE FIRST DATA SUBMISSION DUE
DATE IS 4 MAY 2009, SECOND AND THIRD SUBMISSION DATES FOR NEW
RENTAL DATA ONLY ARE 15 JUN 2009 AND 13 JUL 2009, RESPECTIVELY.
DATA SHOULD BE SUBMITTED PRIOR TO THE DUE DATE TO PERMIT INTERNAL
QUALITY ASSURANCE SCREENING PRIOR TO FINAL SUBMISSION TO RZI.
4.  THIS DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING PROCESS IS CRITICAL IN
ESTABLISHING APPROPRIATE BAH RATES FOR 2010. THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS
DATA CANNOT BE OVERSTATED.  COAST GUARD PARTICIPATION IN THIS DATA
COLLECTION IS REQUIRED.  ANNUAL BAH RATES ARE LARGELY BASED ON THE
DATA SUBMITTED BY LOCAL MHOS.  INCOMPLETE OR INACCURATE DATA WHICH
CANNOT BE VERIFIED BY RZI WILL NOT BE USED IN ESTABLISHING BAH
RATES AND MAY ADVERSELY INFLUENCE BAH RATES IN 2010.  THIS IS OUR
OPPORTUNITY TO ENSURE BAH RATES ACCURATELY REPRESENT THE COST OF
REASONABLE, ADEQUATE, AND AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING FOR ALL
UNIFORMED SERVICES.
5.  QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS MAY BE SUBMITTED VIA E-MAIL TO
COMPENSATION (AT) COMDT.USCG.MIL.
6.  MR. CURTIS B. ODOM, DIRECTOR OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
SENDS.
7.  INTERNET RELEASE IS AUTHORIZED.